Midcabin door for blended wing aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft in which the fuselage and wings are configured in a blended wing design has a door opening in the fuselage adjacent the wing and a door assembly for closing the door opening. The door assembly includes a door having an exterior panel that conforms to the shape of the aircraft at the location of the door opening when the door is closed and having an interior structure configured in a series of steps. The door is movable between a closed position in which an upper edge of the door panel is adjacent an upper edge of the door opening and an open position in which the door panel lies substantially within the wing and in which the upper edge of the door panel is adjacent an upper surface of the wing and spaced from the fuselage. When the door is in the open position, the steps form a stairway leading from the fuselage up and out of the aircraft to the upper surface of the wing. Preferably, the door assembly also includes a movable wing panel which is slaved to the door such that, as the door is moved from the closed to the open position, the wing panel moves to uncover an opening in the wing upper surface through which the door passes to reach its open position.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In an aircraft of blended wing design having a fuselage and a wing, said wing having an upper surface, that blends smoothly into the fuselage to form a blend region between said wing and said fuselage, said aircraft having a door opening in said fuselage, at least a portion of said opening extending into said upper surface of said wing, a door assembly comprising: a door having an upper portion and a lower portion and having an exterior panel conforming to the shape of the fuselage and the blend region when the door is in a closed position; and   first means for mounting said door for swinging movement between said closed position wherein said upper portion of the door is adjacent an upper portion of the door opening and said lower portion of said door is adjacent a lower portion of said door opening and an open position wherein said upper portion of said door is located outwardly from said fuselage and subjacent said upper surface of said wing.   
     
     
       2. In an aircraft having a fuselage and a wing, said wing having an upper surface that blends smoothly into the fuselage to form a blend region between said wing and said fuselage, said aircraft having a door opening in said fuselage, said door opening including a first portion extending into said blend region and an extended portion extending outwardly from said first portion into said upper surface of said wing, an improved door assembly comprising: a door having an upper portion and a lower portion and having an exterior panel conforming to the shape of the fuselage and the blend region when the door is in a closed position wherein said upper portion of said door is adjacent an upper portion of said door opening and said lower portion of said door is adjacent a lower portion of said door opening;   a wing panel covering said extended portion of said door opening when said door is in said closed position;   means for mounting said wing panel for translational movement from a closed position covering said extended portion to an open position wherein said wing panel is spaced from said extended portion; and   means for mounting said door for movement of said door from said closed position to an open position, said movement being such that said upper portion of said door swings outwardly from said fuselage and downwardly through said extended portion of said door opening, said door when in said open position being positioned subjacent said upper surface of said wing.   
     
     
       3. The door assembly of claim 2 further comprising: coupling means for coupling said door to said wing panel for programming the movement of said wing panel so that said wing panel translates out of registration with said extended portion of said door opening as said door swings from said closed position to said open position and so that an inner edge of said wing panel always lies adjacent said exterior panel of said door as said door swings between said open and said closed positions.   
     
     
       4. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein said means for mounting said wing panel so mounts said wing panel that an outer edge of said wing panel first moves downwardly below said upper surface of said wing as said door begins to move from said closed position to said open position, and said wing panel translates outwardly below said wing surface as said door continues to move toward said open position. 
     
     
       5. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said means mounting said door for swinging movement comprises a crankshaft having a crank portion, the lower portion of said door being mounted on the crank portion of said shaft for pivotal movement, the axis of said crank shaft lying inwardly from the outer surface of the fuselage and downwardly from the upper surface of said wing and being oriented transversely to said door opening. 
     
     
       6. The door assembly of claim 5 further comprising stop means associated with said door opening and said door for securing said door in said opening when said door is in said closed position. 
     
     
       7. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein said crankshaft is pivotally mounted adjacent the lower portion of said door opening for swinging the crank portion of said shaft through an arc that extends first inwardly and upwardly and then outwardly and upwardly relative to said door opening, said stop means comprising a track affixed to the fuselage adjacent said upper portion of said door opening, said track having an upwardly and outwardly extending guide portion for receiving a follower, and a follower mounted on said door for engaging said track, said follower engaging said guide portion of said track when said crank portion is positioned at the bottom portion of said arc, said follower moving upwardly and disengaging from said track as the crank portion of said shaft swings upwardly, thereby freeing said door from said stop means and readying said door for outward and downward swinging movement about said crank portion of said shaft.   
     
     
       8. The door assembly of claim 7 further comprising biasing means associated with said door and said fuselage for urging said door toward said open position when said door is free of said stop means. 
     
     
       9. The door assembly of claim 8 wherein said biasing means comprises a spring having an upper and a lower end, said upper end being pivotally attached to said bottom portion of said door and said lower end being pivotally attached to said fuselage below said door opening, said spring being in an expanded condition when said door is in said closed position. 
     
     
       10. The door assembly of claim 7 further comprising damping means associated with said door and said fuselage for slowing the downward movement of said door as it swings toward said open position. 
     
     
       11. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein said damping means comprises a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly including: a cylinder having an upper end and a lower end, said lower end being pivotally attached to said fuselage below said door opening;   a piston mounted in said cylinder for movement between said upper and lower ends; and a piston rod having an upper and a lower end, said lower end being affixed to said piston and said upper end being pivotally connected to said lower portion of said door so that when said door is in said closed position said piston rod extends from said cylinder and said piston is at said upper end of said cylinder and as said door swings toward said open position, said piston rod is pushed downwardly and in turn pushes said piston toward said lower end of said cylinder.   
     
     
       12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein said hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly is operable when said door is in said open position to move said door from said open position toward said closed position by extending said piston rod from said cylinder. 
     
     
       13. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein said coupling means comprises: a door track affixed to a side of said door, said door track having an upper portion which substantially follows the contour of said exterior panel, a center portion which curves downwardly and inwardly toward said fuselage when said door is in its closed position, a lower portion which curves downwardly and outwardly away from said fuselage, and ending in a lower end;   a wing track mounted on said wing below a spanwise edge of said extended portion of said door opening transverse to said fuselage, said wing track being mounted on the side of said extended portion corresponding to said side of said door on which said door track is affixed, said wing track having an inboard end, a first portion extending substantially upwardly from said inboard end, a second portion curving upwardly and outwardly from said fuselage, a third portion extending outwardly from said fuselage substantially parallel to said upper surface of said wing, and ending in an outboard end;   a common follower member which engages said door track and said wing track;   a rigid arm having a first and a second end, said first end being pivotally attached to said common follower; and   attachment means for pivotally attaching said second end of said rigid arm to said wing panel,   said door track, wing track, common follower member and arm being arranged so that when said door panel is in said closed position said lower end of said door track is positioned adjacent the inboard end of said wing track, and as said door moves to its open position said common follower member rides upwardly within said door track and outwardly within said wing track, said common follower member thereby urging said rigid arm and in turn said wing panel in an outboard direction.   
     
     
       14. The door assembly of claim 13 wherein said attachment means comprises: a second follower member which engages said wing track, said second follower member being rotatably mounted on said movable wing panel and said second end of said rigid arm being attached to said second follower.   
     
     
       15. The door assembly of claim 3 further comprising: exit means associated with an interior surface of said door for providing a pathway from said fuselage to said wing upper surface when said door is in said open position.   
     
     
       16. The door assembly of claim 15 wherein said exit means comprises: a plurality of steps formed on said interior surface of said door so that when said door is in said open position said steps form a stairway leading up and out of said fuselage to said wing upper surface.   
     
     
       17. The door assembly of claim 3 wherein said exterior panel of said door has a first opening formed therein, said door further comprising: an interior panel having a second opening formed therein, said interior panel being spaced from said exterior panel, said first and second openings being aligned;   an exterior transparent window mounted in said first opening; and   an interior transparent window mounted in said second opening said first and second windows being optically aligned to form an optical path through said door.   
     
     
       18. The door assembly of claim 17 wherein said door further comprises a wide angle lens mounted in said first opening adjacent said exterior window and optically aligned therewith. 
     
     
       19. The door assembly of claim 7 wherein said exterior panel of said door has an opening formed therethrough, said door assembly further comprising a pressure relief door and means mounting said pressure relief door on an interior surface of said exterior panel of said door for movement between a first position adjacent said door panel and covering said opening and a second position spaced from said opening; and pressure relief linkage means for moving said pressure relief door between said first position and said second position, said pressure relief linkage means being responsive to movement of said crank portion and stop means so that said pressure relief door is in said first position when said crank portion is at the bottom of said arc and said stop means is securing said door and said pressure relief door moves to said second position as said crank portion begins to move inwardly and upwardly through said arc so that said pressure relief door is in said second position prior to the time said door becomes released from said stop means.   
     
     
       20. The door assembly of claim 7 further comprising: an interior handle;   means for mounting said handle on said fuselage for swinging movement between a closed position and an open position; and   crankshaft linkage means associated with said crankshaft and said interior handle and operable by movement of said handle between said closed and open positions so that said crank portion is at the bottom of said arc when said interior handle is in said closed position and said crank portion moves through said arc as said interior handle moves to said open position.   
     
     
       21. The door assembly of claim 20 further comprising: an exterior handle;   means for mounting said exterior handle on said wing for movement between a closed and an open position, and means for coupling said exterior handle with said crankshaft linkage means to move said crank portion from the bottom of said arc through said arc as said exterior handle moves from said closed position to said open position.